This english pale ale is the first beer I’ve brewed since moving, and I’m very happy to get back into the hobby! I brewed this with my buddy, Chris, and had a great time doing it. It was definitely one of those low-stress, easy brew days. It’s a simple recipe that I think could be great with just a few tweaks, and a bit more time in the fermentor.
I rushed this beer a bit, as I was wanting to have a beer ready for a housewarming party we were having two weeks after the brew day (that was my first mistake). I wanted an easy drinking, light ale with the floral flavor and aroma of fuggle hops. However, my local homebrew store was out of fuggle hops, so I improvised (second mistake).
Oh, well! You can’t win ’em all, right? Here’s the recipe:
English Pale Ale
Brew date: 11/1/2015
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5 gal
OG: 1.054*
FG: 1.023*
ABV: 4.11%
IBUs: 34.22
*Note: I think my refractometer needs calibration. OG and FG readings should have been 1.040 and 1.010, respectively. Calculated AVB is in line with 70% expected efficiency.
Fermentables (% of GUs contributed):
100% Maris Otter — 8 lbs.
Hops:
0.75 oz. – East Kent Golding – pellet, AA: 6.3% (60 min)
0.75 oz. – Willamette – pellet, AA: 6.0% (60 min)
0.25 oz. – East Kent Golding – pellet, AA: 6.3% (15 min)
0.25 oz. – Willamette – pellet, AA: 6.0% (15 min)
Finings & Other Ingredients:
None
Yeast:
S-04
Directions
Mash at 154F for 60 minutes. Mash out, lauter, and batch sparge to collect about 5 gallons of wort. Boil for 60 minutes. Cool and pitch yeast and ferment at optimum temperature for two to four weeks. Bottle or keg condition, and enjoy while fresh.
Taste Notes
Aroma – Light and sweet malt aroma. Spicy and floral tones from the aroma hops.
Appearance – Pale and golden. Not quite clear, as a slight haze is present. Looks natural and un-filtered.
Flavor – Grain and mealy malt notes; quickly covered by spicy, floral hop notes. Finishes dry with a slight sweetness. Moderate diacetyl tones from a quick fermentation; slight buttery flavor, similar to an un-oaked chardonnay.
Mouthfeel – Thin and dry.
Overall Impression – This one’s okay… I think the quick fermentation along with the mixed hops was too confusing on the palate. Would want to just use fuggle hops next time.